


It's Strange, But It's True

by ahopper84



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Boys Kissing, Crossdressing, Flirting, M/M, Slash, Smoking, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 01:32:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17377007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahopper84/pseuds/ahopper84
Summary: What started as a laugh turns into something no one expected.





	It's Strange, But It's True

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at summaries. First Queen fic. Hasn't been Brit-picked, so apologies if it's not quite right. Also I suck at titles.

Roger didn’t know what had given him the idea. All he remembered was walking into the meeting and saying they should do the video in drag, and everyone laughed and thought it absolutely brilliant. And of course when they were deciding how everyone should look, the boys all cooed over what a pretty girl Roger would make, and of course he should be the young, precocious schoolgirl, with pigtails and bows and a deliciously inappropriate-length skirt.

That’s how he found himself now, sitting in front of the mirror staring at someone that could be his twin sister. His mates had been right; he did make a pretty girl. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

It wasn’t like it was the first time he’d done it. Back in his younger days (as if he was so ancient now, but Lord he felt it sometimes) he’d done it for a laugh now and again. To this day he still had a few pieces in his wardrobe that had technically come from the women’s section, just because he liked the way they looked and felt. And it wasn’t at all uncommon for him to line his eyes with kohl, emphasizing how doll-like they were. Anyway, girls had always seemed to really fancy how effeminate he looked, and if he leaned into it, who could blame him?

Still, this was the first time he could remember truly commiting to the illusion, and it was more than a little jarring. He wondered what his mates would say when they saw him; they’d all gone to separate areas to prepare, so they could all enjoy the shock of the reveal. The hair and makeup stylist had been gone for a while now, and Roger supposed it was time to quit stalling. He took a breath, twirled a golden-blonde curl around his fingers, and gave a cheeky smirk to the girl in the mirror.

He could hear three familiar voices from behind the fabric partition separating his dressing area from the rest of the space, and felt a twinge of disappointment; they’d all seen each other already, and were waiting for him. Oh well, better to make an impressive entrance, he thought, and tossed back the curtain with a flourish.

“Well hello there, ladies!” he said as he stepped out. All three of them turned to look at him, and he had to bite his lip to keep from busting out laughing as he took in his mates’ appearances. Brian had his precious curls up in rollers, a long pink nightdress hanging off of him; his feet were enclosed in bright pink and black striped socks, with fluffy bunny slippers over those. He’d put on a bit of lipstick but it was purposefully sloppy, like he’d just rolled out of bed.

John was the crotchety grandmother, all in black with gray hair and painted on wrinkles, a mink thrown over his shoulder. Then there was Freddie, looking perfect in a pink sleeveless jumper and black leather miniskirt; he’d left the moustache, contrasting brilliantly with the bright pink earrings and lipstick. He’d even gone as far as wearing fake breasts under his top, something none of the rest had been quite bold enough for.

All this took only moments for Roger to take in. But as soon as he had, he realized all three of them were staring at him with varying degrees of shock. When they remained silent, he started to feel uncharacteristically self-conscious. 

“You all look brilliant,” he chuckled, twisting his fingers in a pigtail. That seemed to break the tension, and they all laughed and circled around him.

“You look…” Brian began, but trailed off, shaking his head.

“That good or bad?” Roger prompted, biting his lip coyly.

“Marvelous, darling,” Freddie quipped, touching her shoulder. “Couldn’t have done better myself. I always did say you were the prettiest out of the lot of us. I do wish you’d let me do this to you ages ago.”

“It really is remarkable,” Deacy said, smirking. Roger looked back at Brian, who was still at a loss for words. 

“Don’t be an arse, Bri,” Freddie said, nudging him. “Tell him how pretty he looks.”

Roger thought he saw Brian’s cheeks turn a bit pink, but it was hard to tell.

“Right,” he finally stammered. “Like Freddie said, you look brilliant. Like a proper girl.”

“Why thank you,” Roger said, doing a little turn. “I have to say, I was just as shocked as you lot when I saw myself. Thought I’d discovered a long-lost twin or something.”

After that they were ushered over to the set, and the rest of the morning was spent shooting the domestic part of the video. There was another part, too, something to do with the National Ballet, but that was all Freddie. This part would cover the first and last verses, bookending what everyone was calling “Freddie’s Ballet”. It was supposed to be dreadfully artistic, inspired by some production Freddie had seen recently and become instantly enraptured with. Roger loved that about Freddie, how passionate he was about everything. Sometimes he worried they would lose him to his passions someday, that he would get so swept away in this or that distraction and would never look back. But he always came back to his family, usually with renewed inspiration and drive.

The shoot went well enough, no major disasters to be spoken of. But all throughout the day there seemed to be a tension in the air. Roger couldn’t stop looking at his bandmates and how wonderfully camp they all looked, and it seemed they felt the same. But there was one pair of eyes Roger kept finding on himself, though they would quickly look away whenever Roger caught him. Roger felt a strange thrill every time he caught Brian staring at him over the edge of the woman’s magazine he was supposed to be pretend-reading.

Later, after the shoot had wrapped, they were all goofing about. Somehow Roger and John got into a play-fight and John pulled Roger into his lap, spanking him while both of them cackled. Roger stole a glance at Brian who was trying - and failing - not to stare. Roger pulled himself out of John’s grip and walked across the small fake room to retrieve his cigarettes from their hiding place behind a bowl of fruit. His back was to Brian, and a wicked idea struck him; he leaned over the table, pretending to simply be reaching for his fags, whilst deliberately sticking his ass in the air far more than was really necessary.

He heard Brian let out a cough that was absolutely not a cover-up, and grinned. He’d never gotten this kind of reaction from Brian; other boys, sure, but that had never interested him. But the thought of making Brian flustered - serious, straight-laced Brian who rarely said anything all that naughty - that was something that had Roger’s attention.

“Fancy a smoke, Bri?” Roger said, cocking his head towards the side door of the studio.

“You want to go out there looking like this?” Brian asked, one eyebrow arched.

“Doesn’t bother me. Anyway, I’m going, you can follow if you want. Roger turned without waiting, smiling when he heard the huff and soft padding footsteps behind him. He slipped out the door, and was relieved the alley was empty. He really didn’t care, much, but he knew Brian would be more comfortable. He leaned against the brick wall and waited; sure enough, the door opened a second time and Brian stepped out, squinting in the afternoon light.

Roger pulled a lighter from his shirt pocket and tapped two sticks from the pack; he stuck both between his lips and lit them, taking a quick drag before passing one to Brian.

“Thanks, mate.” 

They smoked in silence for a few moments, Roger watching Brian from the corner of his eye and tapping his foot to the beat in his head.

“You, ah… you really do look… It’s uncanny,” Brian finally managed, all while staring at the ground. Roger giggled. 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” he replied, reaching up to tug on one of the rollers. Brian rolled his eyes and swatted the younger man’s hand away.

“Right, I’m sure I’m simply stunning.”

“Yeah, I suppose this does leave a bit to be desired.” Roger twirled the cigarette between his fingers for a moment before taking another drag. He looked Brian up and down; he’d always been aware of how attractive Brian was, in an objective way at least. His look was so different from Roger’s own. There was no way anyone would mistake the tall, lanky man for a female. Not that he was terribly manly either; he wasn’t overly muscular, looking more like he’d been stretched in a taffy pull. Still, his facial features were all hard lines and sharp angles, which could have looked severe and off-putting on anyone else. But to Roger, he’d always just seemed the epitome of ‘handsome’.

Roger realized he was staring at Brian’s face, but Brian hadn’t seemed to notice. In fact, Brian was focused on a spot on the ground, his eyes barely darting up every now and then.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so quiet,” Roger said, nudging one plush slipper with his own foot.

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing,” Brian said, finally looking at Roger. “Just… thinking.”

Something about the way Brian looked at him made Roger’s breath catch in his throat. He really was getting to him. This was new. Or was it? Had it always been there, and Roger had been too oblivious to notice? It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility, but Roger wasn’t sure.

“About what?” he asked, his voice coming out far softer than he’d intended. This time he knew he saw Brian’s cheeks turn a shade or two darker. “About… me?”

“Conceited much?” Brian scoffed, but the way he turned his head gave him away. 

“It’s okay, you know. I don’t mind.” Roger turned on his side to face his mate, and took a deep breath. “We’ve known each other a long time, yeah?”

“More than a decade,” Brian said, nodding and taking a drag. He exhaled slowly, the smoke curling and reminding Roger oddly of a dragon’s breath. 

“And…” Roger looked down and kicked at a pebble. He felt nervous suddenly, unsure of what to say. “And we’ve always been honest with each other, haven’t we? No secrets?”

“None that I’m aware of.” Brian cast a sidelong glance at Roger. “Why, have you something to confess?” 

“No… maybe?” Roger frowned, his brow creasing, and looked down again. He took another long drag off his stick. “It’s not anything I’d thought before. But maybe I was just being dense. Hell, I don’t know, maybe I’m just imagining things, but it seems like…”

“Like what?” 

“Like you really like seeing me like this. And I don’t know if it’s just because I really do look like a girl, or…” Roger dared a glance up, and saw that Brian was on his side as well, facing him and standing much closer than before.

“We’re in our mid-thirties, Rog. Bit late to start developing a crush, isn’t it?”

Roger felt his own face heating up, the unfamiliar pain of shame making his chest tighten. He took the final drag of his stick and threw it to the ground, angrily smashing it out with his foot. He stepped around Brian to go back inside, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

“That came out wrong. I didn’t mean…” Brian huffed and Roger turned and crossed his arms, but didn’t look up.

“I don’t know, Rog. You do look… stunning, really, and that’s definitely not helping things. But it’s not like… Well, it’s not like I haven’t noticed you. More like…”

Roger looked up, still nervous, but curious where the train of thought was heading. Brian flicked away his own spent fag and leaned his head back.

“It’s like… when you look up at the night sky. You’ve seen the stars a thousand times before. You’ve stared up at them for hours, even. And sure, they’re just as beautiful as everyone says.”

Roger smiled; it was so like Brian to make an analogy based on the sky, his other great passion in life besides music.

“But then something happens one night. A meteor shower, an eclipse, a shooting star. Something that makes you see the stars in a whole new way. The picture’s the same, but it carries a different weight all of a sudden, a different meaning.” Brian looked at Roger again. “When I said it’s a little late to develop a crush, I wasn’t referring to you. I mean, I wasn’t implying you were the one who was.”

“Bri…” Roger uncrossed his arms and let his hands fall to his sides, playing with the hem of his skirt. “You have to understand, I never thought about you before today, not like that. But I noticed how you were looking at me. If you were, that is…” Roger bit his lip, but Brian chuckled and nodded.

“I was afraid you’d caught on. Guess I’m not very good at subtlety. And I’ve never thought about you like that either. Not about any other boy, either. I’m not… at least, I didn’t think I was…”

“Same for me. But I don’t really think that matters, do you? If there’s one thing I’ve learned being with you and John and Freddie, it’s that labels don’t mean shite.”

“So… what do we do now, then?”

“I… I don’t know. God, I haven’t felt like this since we were in school.” Roger chuckled, and Brian soon followed, until they were both laughing like mad. When they grew quiet again, Roger took one of Brian’s hands and placed it on his waist. 

“I suppose we start where any two people with a silly attraction to each other would.” Roger quirked an eyebrow and placed his own hand on Brian’s shoulder. He leaned up to whisper in the other man’s ear. “If it makes you feel better, you can pretend I really am a girl, just this once.”

He let their cheeks brush as he pulled back, an impish smirk on his painted lips. Brian chuckled and shook his head, his eyes darting across Roger’s features.

“No, I think I like it better knowing you’re you.” 

Roger waited with baited breath for Brian to make a move, but it seemed nerves had gotten in the way.

“Sod it,” Roger muttered, before standing on his tip-toes and pressing his lips to Brian’s.

The surprised noise that Brian made almost made Roger want to laugh, but half a moment later his grip on Roger’s side tightened, and then he was returning the kiss. It was timid at first; neither one had ever kissed a boy before. Roger pulled back and looked at Brian, blue and brown eyes mirroring the same surprise, but also the same thrill.

It was Brian’s turn to kiss Roger, and he did with an eagerness that made Roger’s toes curl. The hand on Roger’s waist wrapped around his back, pulling their bodies closer together. Brian’s other hand went to Roger’s hair, tangling in the fake curls; they broke apart laughing and a little out of breath.

“Here,” Roger said, leaning back as far as Brian’s grip would allow and pulling the wig off. He tossed it aside, aware but not caring about the hell he’d probably catch for getting it dirty. He ran his hands roughly through his own hair, itching his scalp and mussing his own cornsilk locks out of the dreadful matted mess they’d nearly become.

“Better?” Brian asked, to which Roger nodded.

“Much. I couldn’t wait to get that bloody thing off, to be honest. All you had to deal with was these, lucky bastard,” he added, tugging a roller. Brian ran his free hand through Roger’s hair, his nails scratching the scalp lightly, and Roger let out a sound something like a purr.

“How’ve I been so blind all this time?” Brian said with a tone and a look of awe.

“Same as me, I suppose,” Roger replied with a shrug. The two eyed each other for moment before coming together in another kiss.

“Darlings, we simply must-” Freddie’s voice and the sound of the door opening made both of them jump back, but not fast enough. “Well then.” 

Freddie stared at the two of them, his eyes wide. He’d changed into his normal, slightly less flamboyant style, although his lips were still bright pink.

“Freddie,” Brian began, but Freddie held up a hand. 

“Now darlings, there’s no explanation necessary. I’ve had to watch you two pine for each other all day; I’m just glad you’ve sorted it out. But you’d better get changed, we’re all going out for drinks. That is of course, unless you have other plans…” He winked and headed back inside without waiting for an response.

“Bloody hell,” Roger said after a moment. He looked at Brian, and the two of them cracked up laughing again.

“I suppose we should get going.”

“Right,” Brian agreed, letting Roger step back. But Roger leaned in to kiss his lips one more time first.

“To be continued, then?” he whispered, and Brian nodded. As they headed back inside and went their separate ways to undress, Roger thought about everything that had happened. He felt giddy, drunk off the thrill of experiencing something new, and anticipating what would happen next. It was silly, really; like Brian had said, they were both in their mid-thirties, Brian nearly bordering on the late side. But sometimes life was funny like that. And it wasn’t as if this was someone new. This was Brian, who he’d been best mates with for nearly two decades. Brian, who’d been there for him more times than he could possibly count. Brian, who he would do anything for, and vice versa.

Was it love? It was too soon to tell. But their lives had been such a roller coaster already, that it wouldn’t surprise Roger that much if it was. 

“Coming, darling?” Freddie stuck his head through the curtain, and Roger nodded.

“Yeah. Oh, and Freddie? About earlier…”

“No judgement here, Rog, you know that.

“I know, I just… I don’t know what it means. We’ve known each other for ages, but I never thought about him like that before today, and he said he never had either. It’s all just so out of nowhere.”

“Love is like that sometimes. Don’t worry; you’ll sort it out.” Freddie wrapped an arm around Roger’s waist as they stepped out of the dressing area. “Although,” he whispered in Roger’s ear, “If I’d known what would happen, I would’ve forced you into a skirt years ago!”


End file.
